NCAA BK

Princeton 58, Harvard 53

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP)

Ian Hummer registered his first double-double of the season to
help Princeton defeat Harvard 58-53 Friday night, tightening up the
Ivy League title race.

Hummer scored 23 points with a season-high 14 rebounds as the
Tigers (15-9, 8-2) avenged a 69-57 loss to the Crimson on Feb.
16.

Harvard (17-8, 9-2), which came in having won four straight and
eight of its last nine games, has three regular-season contests
left and Princeton has four. If both win out, that would set up
their second playoff in three seasons for the league's NCAA
tournament berth.

The Tigers led 46-36 with 9:58 remaining, but the Crimson forged
ahead 51-48 with 2:44 showing on a three-point play by Steve
Moundou-Missi, who finished with 15 points.

Hummer's two free throws re-established Princeton's lead, 54-53
with 1:06 left, and Denton Koon and T.J. Bray made two foul shots
apiece in the final 2 seconds.

Princeton had a 37-24 rebounding advantage, including 13-2 on
the offensive glass.

Harvard, which plays at Penn on Saturday, is seeking its third
straight conference crown and third in program history. A No. 12
seed in last year's NCAA tournament, the Crimson lost to No. 5
Vanderbilt 79-70 in the first round.

Princeton hosts Dartmouth on Saturday. The Tigers won their 24th
straight home game against Harvard. The last time the Crimson beat
Princeton in Jadwin Gym was Feb. 3, 1989.

Wesley Saunders, who came in averaging 16.7 points per game for
Harvard, added 11 points to extend his streak of scoring in double
figures to 25 games.

The Tigers jumped out to a 12-4 lead and took a 30-24 advantage
into halftime.

Harvard outshot Princeton in the second half 52.6 percent (10 of
19) to 30.8 percent (8 of 26), but Saunders missed a layup with 54
seconds to go. Although Moundou-Missi rebounded, he missed his own
layup attempt.

With the Tigers still holding a 54-53 lead with 17 seconds to
go, Koon missed a jumper and Harvard rebounded, but turned the ball
over.

Princeton's Mack Darrow missed a free throw and it remained a
one-point game with 7 seconds to go. After Koon's two free throws
with 2 seconds showing, Bray stole the ball from Jonah Travis and
made his two foul shots with 1 second left to clinch it.

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